Scars
by likecigar
Summary: My version of how and when Gibbs and Tony first met and how Tony was hired. One-shot.


The previous day did not end well at NCIS. Team Gibbs was intact but another team had not fared so well. One member had been lost during a raid that went bad. Gibbs and his crew had been tasked to suss out where errors may have occurred. It wasn't about blame. It if was, Internal Affairs would be doing the investigation and no field team would be permitted to go near the scene. They had begun their investigation late at night, well after the raid, long after the dead and the suspects had been taken away. They worked quickly and efficiently through the night, taking the photos and measurements, collecting the bits and fragments of evidence that would explain or corroborate explanations. As they were striking their equipment and taking down their work lights, McGee put his foot wrong, twisting his ankle. Regaining his balance, he threw his arm out and raked his forearm across a piece of jagged, rusty metal opening a fairly significant gash. He couldn't see the wound very well in the dark and was more concern with his ankle as it hurt more than his arm. He limped to the MCRT van.

"McGee!" Ziva said in alarm as he approached.

"It's not bad. I just twisted it a little." he said sinking down to sit in the doorway at the back of the van.

"McGee" Ziva said again, grabbing his arm and holding it above his head. McGee looked up to see the large gash and paled at the amount of blood. "Ducky!" Ziva called.

"They left a while ago." Tony said approaching carrying much of the gear. "Whadjado, McGoo?" Tony asked reaching past McGee and pulling out a medical kit.

* * *

This day had been spent interviewing the team who had conducted the raid. They also interviewed the suspects captured at the time. They had finished most of the interviews and the story was beginning to come together. The raid had been planned and executed well. It's just sometimes bad things happen to good people especially when bad people are involved, too. Bad things happened to the bad people last night, too but, well, it just sucked, that's all. Gibbs' team had worked a full day the day before and was called back in to start this investigation after only four and half hours off. He doubted anyone had slept much if at all during that time and they were approaching 18 hours on this investigation with barely a stop for lunch. Gibbs called it day for them all. McGee started shutting down his computer. Tony made a quick phone call, grabbed his gear and stepped over to Gibbs' desk.

"We're headed over to MacGregor's. . ." Tony let the invitation hang. Gibbs looked up at Tony.

"Yeah. I'll catch up with you there." he said as he resumed his paperwork.

Awhile later, Gibbs entered the bar and quickly found Tony, McGee, Ziva, Abby and Palmer sitting around a table near the back of the bar.

"We're holding the first one, Boss." Tony said. Gibbs looked around the table. Everyone had two drinks in front of them, one untouched as was the glass of bourbon sitting at the empty place which Gibbs now filled. He sat for a moment then took up his glass in salute.

"Donovan." he said. They all repeated the name and drank their first drink. They sat quietly for a moment each in their own thoughts. Abby let a few tears fall. McGee was sitting next to her and placed his arm around her. After a moment Ziva broke the silence.

"McGee, you are bleeding on Abby." she said. McGee quickly pulled his arm away.

"What?" said Abby shifting away from McGee. He looked down at his bandaged hand to see the blood slightly seeping through the bandage. Abby looked to where his bloodied arm had been.

"You better not have leaked all over this shirt, McGee" she said.

Gibbs massaged his shoulder a little and Ziva noticed.

"Ari?" she asks quietly.

"Could be any one of the half dozen times I injured this shoulder, Ziva." he replied.

"Including the time McGee here made you take a Taurus for the team." Tony said cuffing McGee lightly on the back of the head.

"It was an accident" McGee and Gibbs said in unison.

"Hey, I've taken my share of hits." McGee said defensively

"A couple of bouts of poison ivy doesn't it cut, McItchy."

"What about this?" McGee said holding up what in future stories was probably going to become a bloodied stump.

"You tripped and fell over you own feet, hardly counts as a battle scar." Tony said. "Here, feel this." He grabbed Abby's hand and placed in on the back of his head. "Every time somebody wants to crack me over the head, they find that spot right there. "

"Palmer." Ziva said as she turned her back to him and pulled down the sleeve of her shirt to reveal the back of her shoulder. Jimmy looked at her wide eyed. "You see that scar there?"

"Yes, Yes I do see that scar there." he said and took a large drink. "How. . .how did, ah." he tried to ask.

"It does not matter. I won." she said. Gibbs smiled. "Abby, have you any battle stripes?" Ziva asked.

"Not a lot of action down in the lab and the few times things got exciting I came away unscathed. I do have a scar from a real knock down drag out I had with my little brother once when we were kids but it's covered with a tattoo now and not in a place I usually display in public." she said.

"Usually?" Tony said. Abby elbowed him the ribs and Tony threw his head back in mock pain as everyone enjoyed the joke.

"Tony, what about that scar." Palmer asked pointing at Tony, then pointing at his own chin. Tony suddenly got all serious and placed his hand on Palmer's arm.

"That, Mr. Palmer, is the USS Indianapolis." he said doing his best Quint impression from the movie _Jaws._ Everyone broke up laughing again. "Actually, that's just a really bad day of shaving." he said and he enjoyed the few more laughs he got.

"Tony. . .tell 'em." Gibbs said with a nod.

Usually the one who almost screamed for Gibbs' attention, Tony seemed almost embarrassed by this particular moment in the spotlight. Everyone at the table was suddenly quiet in anticipation of some riotous exploit explaining Tony's scar. Tony merely picked up his glass and looked straight at Gibbs.

"I got this little tiny scar the first time I saved your life." Tony said and raised the glass in salute and knocked it back in one. Gibbs acknowledged the salute with a slow nod of thanks, then elaborated on Tony's simple explanation.

"At The Pentagon. . .September 11, 2001." Gibbs said. The two men looked at on another across the table. The rest of the table stared at them, eyes wide.

* * *

Author's Note 1)On several occasions when we see Tony 'sleeping' at his desk you can see a small scar under his chin and I decided to give it a reason. 2) I'm not sure of the exact timing but it seems Tony joined NCIS in 2001 so this could possible be the when, where and how he and Gibbs met. 3)Mike Franks calls Gibbs 'Probie' Tony calls McGee 'Probie'. Why have we never heard Gibbs ever refer to Tony's 'Probie' period and 4)Finally, if you Google around enough you can find diagrams of The Pentagon and see that the area where that plane crashed was right next to the offices of The Secretary of the Navy. Coincidence? I don't believe i. . .well, you know.

A/N I usually don't post a story until it's done because I go back and change things but I'm not changing this one. However, the rest of the story may be a long time in coming. Encouragement might help.


End file.
